The program grants eligible full-time undergraduate students a credit equivalent of 30 per cent of the average college or university tuition costs. For 2012, students will be eligible for a credit of up to $800 for the winter term. Starting in September, the grant will pay up to $1,600 per fall/winter session at Brock. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2012.

You are eligible if:

You are a full-time student in an undergraduate program. Teacher education students, graduate students and post-graduate certificate students are not eligible.

It has been less than four years since you’ve left high school.

You are a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a protected person.

Your parents’ gross income as reported on their 2010 tax return was $160,000 or less.

If you have applied for OSAP this year, you don’t need to apply for the program.

Luke Speers of BUSU, right, met with Glen Murray, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, at a press conference on Thursday.

Luke Speers, Vice-President of Finance and Administration at the Brock University Students’ Union, said the grant is an important step to reducing financial barriers to education. But he wants to make sure those who aren’t receiving OSAP know that they have to apply to get it.

“We’re working very hard to ensure that all students at Brock have an opportunity to take advantage of this new program,” he said.

The program is a trade off, he said. The government is eradicating three other programs — the Textbook and Technology Grant, Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship and the Ontario Trust for Student Support, worth about $78 million combined — to offer the 30 per cent one. But Speers said he can live with that.

“On net, there’s still a lot of new funding coming into the system.”

Rico Natale, director of Student Awards and Financial Aid, said students who think they might be eligible need to go to ontario.ca/30off. Brock is also distributing posters, bookmarks and other materials to inform students. The Ministry of Training,Colleges and Universities will also be sending “street team” members to campus later this year.

the goverment never thinks things threw, i went to college for 2 years and then from college came to brock , been a full time student the whole time, i work my ass off every summer to pay my 6500 tution and my 1000 in text books plus other cost, yet get no help at all from the goverment

This is so unfair for students who need it the most. People who were not able to afford tuition right out of high school and had to spend couple of years working to support themselves and their families, what about them? I think those people deserve a round of applause for not giving up not this!
what about immigrants who had to wait for immigrations process time both in their country as well as upon arriving in Canada? I don’t think they waited on purpose either…. I think there should be consideration for some people as long as they provide proof of what they’ve been doing during the lapse of time….

Just another reason why I am so happy to be graduating this year. As much fun as going to school has been, I’m broke as f**k and the government isn’t willing to help out those that need it the most.
Taking time off after high school means no financial help. Good luck to all the Profs and TAs who are now going to have to deal with a bunch of unmotivated 17 year olds in first year.

How unreasonable is it to exclude the whole Education department of every university! Not the best time to be offering this rebate, as myself and thousands of others are in their fifth year of a five year Concurrent Ed program. How is this fair? Current students are able to spend 30% less than we had to. The restrictions on this grant should have been reconsidered, as it does not apply to a huge chunk of students. Not cool.

This grant is completely unfair. The OSAP system has hurt myself and many others like me every year because they felt my parents made too much money and yet I have been supporting myself for the last 4 years. I work 2 jobs now and still continue my studies paying my own tuition, rent and all other scholastic expenses because the Government doesn’t seem to care whether or not I need assistance. I thought this grant would be my first positive out reach and could help me to make ends meet but once again I am tossed out in the cold because this is my 5th year in University. Thank you Mr McGuinty for once again crushing my dreams and forcing me to take on extra shifts and drop a class just to survive. I really appreciate it and I hope you are relaxing comfortably in your tax dollars while we all suffer here. Cant get anywhere with or without an education it seems. What a messed up world we live in. I am greatly unimpressed.

In my 5th of 6 years of school (3 at Brock, 3 at Niagara) and I dot get anything back :(. I don’t understand it. I got $11000 from OSAP because I’m paying for living and schooling on my own, so they know I’m broke, but I don’t get anything back! I still have 1 year left, and I won’t be able to work due to placements. Stupid Government :S

While I agree that the restrictions on who qualifies for this program are a little extreme, I have to give credit to the government that they have at least attempted to make post-secondary education more accessible to those students who need it the most. I don’t qualify because of my parents’ income which also makes me ineligible for every other grant/scholarship program available to upper year student, yet I would benefit greatly from even a small reduction in tuition. At least this is a start.

This is a joke.The Liberals have spent the past several years allowing tuition rates to skyrocket to all-time highs, and now they’re offering a $1,600 “grant” to make themselves look better? Why did they allow tuition to become so expensive in the first place? And if they want to make amends for it now, why don’t they just lower tuition rates for ALL students?

I’m a mature student, and so once again I’ve been given the short end of the stick, but what bothers me even more is the fact that they’re getting rid of a scholarship to help make this “grant” possible . . . nothing quite like robbing hard-working, academically-gifted students of their scholarship in order to make sure all those 18-year-old, straight-C students have an extra $1,600 in beer money, right, Mr. McGuinty?

well this doesn’t make sense at all what of those of us who have been out of high scool for more then 4 yrs. what of also those students who are not canadian citizens they are also human beigns you know. As a mature student this is not fair.